The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-25


event we are willing to pay the city $50 q day
for such delay. Ii this amount is not reasona-
bic and fair We would be willing 20 make u $lUo
per day. or. for that matter, we would not object
to the striking out of this condition and letting
the SlOO.OOO bond stand security for the per-
Torrance of our undertaking"
AS TO the third objection, the communication
read: I'VE are not asking to be relieved from
the Ordinary, taxes. such are levied ana col
lected other corporations, but it is the special
tax which We think would be a hardship. Ii as
the end of five years the initial rock pressure or
gas has not materially decreased. and We are not
driven from our present base of supply, SO as TO
materially add to the cost of securing 1t, we
would not object to the city IN that event re-
newing the right to put On this special tax after
that time. if we should then deem it just ana
proper to do So"
pressure and base of supply applied TO the
tax the company said relative To the increase
in price, that In that event I'VE would not OBJ
1ect to the city reservlng the right to require
reduction of the price to point as low as that
fixed in the ordinance in force, to be
changed at the end of five years"
In regard to estimates of profits il set
forth that I'VE know by statistics that the total
amount of fuel sold during the whole of last year
by the coal dealers Was about $3.50. goo in the en-
tire city and suburbs; that to reach all these
consumers it would require the piping of over 300
miles of streets at an average cost of s., 600 per
mile: that il all this pipe was laid probably
one-half the consul rners of this fuel would expend
the necessary sum in piping their houses and be-
come patrons of a gas company. We estimate
that the average cost of the gas would be. under
the ordinance we submit. so per cent. that OF
coal. The cost of operating and for land leases
We can only guess at untiPexperience teaches
u.s.
After the reading Of the communication,
Councilman Stuckmeyer presented, by request.
the lengthy resolutions adopted by the meeting
IN the Criminal Court room Saturday night.
Councilman Swain also called attention to the
resolutions adopted by the Second ward citizens.
They were to have been given him so he could
present them TO the Council. but for some rea-
son they had not reached him. The way
thus cleared for consideration of the ordinance
itself. and Councilman Thalman moved TO take
1t up, section by section, Alderman Pritch,
bedons 1t could be read and considered as the
members proper. He then spoke for some
time the Objectionable features. but he
maintained that the new ordinance ala not re,
peal the old, as had been claimed He canvassed
the work of preparing the first ordinance, es-
pecially the schedule of prices At that time he
believed some company would accept the ordi-
nance. but the Standard company the Cuff
fey syndicate and Toledo capitalists all had re-
fused to touch it. he thought 1t time to make
sbs genital Git, TO d
the ordinance but that company has moro
gas than it had three months ago. Besides this
all it's wells shot. aud everyone knows that
there is certainty in the supply of shot
wells He had the courage of mis- convictions
and was ready to vote to increase the price, not
withstanding the fact that he had been told by
member of a rival company that II he did so the
people would say he was bought. That was
vile SANDER against the councilmen and alder
Men
ing the old ordinance, unless he was sure it
would be accepted by some company. Council
man Thealman said further delav was damaging
to the city. He was ready to take up the new
ordinance and amend it. He would favor no
amendments however, il they were not to be
accepted. Councilman Markey took the same
position, after which Councilman Smith moved
that it be the sense of the Committee that the
ordinance be stricken from the flies. and that
the old ordinance be amended. Councilman
Markey opposed this. He wanted action on the
new ordinance. LET us take it up," he said,
"and not be afraid of it. Let face the ques-
ton squarely and amend the new ordinance.
Councilman Tha.man supported this idea, but
the Smith motion. somewhat modified to
make the old ordinance the basis of amendment,
prevailed
On further notion q committee of council
men and aldermen was appon ted to confer with
the company as to the amendments it would
accept This committee consists of Aldermen
Pritchard and Wright. Councilmen Swain,
Mack. Smlshers Markey and Dunn. 1t was
derstood on adjourning that the committee
would not report until next Monday night. but
an effort will be made to have a special meeting
of the Council at earlier date. The directors
of the company and the committee will have
conference to-day
A Pittsburg Manufacturer's Views.
John Eaton. of Pittsburg. largely connected
with the manufacture Of gas-pipes is at the
New Denison Hotel Last evening. in speaking
of the introduction of natural gas into his city.
he said: 'Our manufacturers were glad to get
it at the cost of coal. because they were able to
save great deal in doing away with the hand
ling OF that fuel. But they got gas on the
tract system, although the price of coal was the
basis upon which the contracts made.
After a time competition reduced the price to
from 10 to % per cent. less than the cost of
coal. Recently there las been an advance in
prices, aud they are nearly what they in
the beginning"
Are the profits larger than the investment
and risks in the gas supply warranta' was asked
by the reporter.
1.-THE profits are large. There is no doubt
about that; but to the risks nothing certain
be said. Wells will give out, but l have
been to the Baku region in Russia two or three
times where they have natural-gas wells that
have been burning for $500 years. Marion
describes them at length IN his book Tine
Eternal Fires The wells. though, are not used
to the extent nor for the purposes that wells in
this country are. believe the natural gas sup
ply In the United States is practically inexhaust-
ibie In Titusville well drilled fifteen years
ago is still burning, though with light fiow."
''What prices prevail to the household con-
sumption of natural gas in Pittsburg"
Gas for small heating stove costs SIT per
year. and from that the prices vary according to
size up to $50 per year. We this gas for an
illuminant, which costs about twenty cents per
burner per month. 1t is the crude gas, and is
not good iiluminant. but it serves very well
IOF COutluuous iIRut III warehouses; ana
places OF that kind. l do not
know what gas for cooking stove
costs, as l do not Keep house. but should think
it would averags So per month, that is the
rate in other places in the natural gas region of
Pennsylvania"
In regard the Indianapolis problem, Mr..
Eaton said the best thing to do would be to let
the barriers down. sit is ridiculous in fact it
is positively wicked he continued that this
city has not had gas long before this" The sup
ply of pipe, he says, is not great that anyone
can get what they want by merely going into
the market All the mills are being run to their
capacity to fill ORDERS and unless a company has
a contract in black it is not certain that it can
cat nina at this time